Amusement apparatus.



P. S. CHANGE.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.'17,1908.

923,489. Patented June 1, 1909.

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923,489. Patented June 1, 1909.

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v ATTORNEY.

FRANK S. CHANCE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1909.

Application filed September 1'7, 1908. Serial No. 453,450.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK S. CHANcE, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certian new and useful Amusement Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide an amusement ap aratus having a large platform centrally fulcrumed and preferably provided with controllable means for tilting said latform at will and to mount upon said plat orm vehicles that roll on it under the influence of gravity. To that end the platform is provided with a guard which prevents said vehicles fromrolling off the platform. It is obvious that as the platform is tilted in various ways, these vehicles will travel over the platform in various directions and in gro tesque and irregular fashion, so as to furnish amusement to the occupants of the vehicles. These vehicles, during the operation of the device, will at various irregular intervals bump against each other and separate and travel away from each other and the points of contact are guarded by buffers.

Suitable stops are provided for limiting the tilting movement of the platform so as to prevent any danger of accident. The platform may be tilted by any suitable means but as shown herein there is a plurality of cables attached to it at various points about the bottom of the platform, said cables running to drums separately controllable by levers.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device with the platform horizontal. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device with the latform shown tilted in one direction by full lines and in an opposite direction by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3, showing one vehicle or tub in side elevation. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a drum and clutch longitudinally of the shaft, the latter being broken away. Fig. 7 is a section similar to Fig. 5 showing a modified form of the buffer. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line 88 of 7.

A circular platform 10 is shown which may be of any desired diameter, say thirty feet, and it is centrally fulcrumed upon the post 11 which is firmly braced by the braces 12 running from the base 13. ihe platform has vertical posts 14 extending up from the periphery thereof to which a guard rail 15 is secured.

The platform is held in any desired position of obliquity, as well as in a horizontal position, by a series of cables 16 secured to the bottom of the platform near its periphery and at various points, as indicated in Fig. 3, and extending under stationary pulleys 17 secured to the base 13 and horizontally therefrom under a series of pulleys 18, shown by dotted lines, in the horizontal frame 19 which is mounted stationary, and around the drums 20. Each cable has its individual drum 20 and there are shown eight cables in the drawing. The drums 20 are loosely mounted on the driving shaft 21, which is mounted in the stand 122, which is constantly driven in one direction by suitable power. A stationary collar 22 is clamped on one side of each drum and from the opposite side of each drum flaring flanges 23 project to receive the tapering end of the clutch 24 which is splined so as to be slidable on said shaft 21 and is moved into and out of engagement with the drum by the lever 25, which has a yoked end to engage the clutch 24. All of the levers 25 are mounted on the horizontal bar 26 secured at its ends to the stands 122 for the driving shaft 21.

When it is desired to tilt the platform, say from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown by full lines in Fig. 2, the lever 25 for drawing the cable which runs to the rear end of the platform, is actuated to throw the clutch 24 into engagement with the drum for such cable. Thus the shaft will draw the cable and tilt the platform, the other drums at the time being idle. As soon as the platform has thus tilted the drum which has been actuated is released and some other drum thrown into operative connection with the shaft 21 so as to tilt the platform in another direction. Since there are eight cables and drums it is obvious that the movement of the platform can be varied in many ways. It is not necessary, however, that the platform should be tilted completely in any direction. Upon this tilting platform various vehicles are provided to carry passengers. Those shown herein are in the form of tubs 30 which have casters 31 on the bottoms thereof, so

that they will roll in various directions by gravity as the platform is tilted. A circular seat 32 is provided within the tub for passengers to sit upon and their feet occupy the central portion of the tub. These tubs are preferably large enough to hold five or six people. An annular buffer is secured about each tub on the same level as. the guard rail 15 to bump against said rail and protect the rail and tub and also diminish the force of the jar or blow when the tubs bump against each other or the guard rail. This buffer may consist of a pneumatic rubber tube 33, as shown in Fig. 5, or of spiral springs 34 secured to the sides of the tubs, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, extending outwardly therefrom and having on their outer ends a leather strip 35, extending about the entire series of springs and said strips being connected to the tub by top and bottom strips 36 of canvas or other flexible material; so as to form a flexible casing for all of said springs. The buffers or springs have also the additional function of causing the vehicles to bounce or spring away or from each other or the guard rail when they strike. This sudden rebounding of the vehicles and their meeting at times adds to the amusement.

Stops 40 are secured on the braces 12 in position to engage the bottom of the platform and stop its tilting movement.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An amusement apparatus including a platform, means for centrally fulcruming the same, and means acting upon the platform at various points thereof for tilting the same in various directions.

2. An amusement apparatus including a platform, means for centrally fulcruming the same, cables connected with the platform at various points near the periphery, stationary pulleys to which the cables extend vertically from the platform, and means for separately actuating and controlling said cables.

3. An amusement apparatus including a platform, means for centrally fulcruming the same, cables connected with the platform at various points near the periphery, idler pulleys for said cables mounted stationarily beneath the platform, a driving shaft, drums loosely mounted thereon there being one drum for each cable, a clutch on said shaft for engaging each drum, and a lever for operating each clutch whereby the different cables may be separately controlled, substantially as set forth.

4. An amusement apparatus including a platform, means for centrally fulcruming the same, means acting upon the platform at various points thereof for tilting the same in various directions, and a vehicle adapted to roll by gravity upon the platform.

5. An amusement apparatus including a platform, guards surrounding and secured to the same, means for centrally fulcruming the platform so it will tilt, means acting upon the platform at various points thereof for tilting the same in various directions a vehicle adapted to roll by gravity upon the platform, and resilient means secured to the vehicle in position to engage the guard connected with the platform.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

FRANK S. CHANCE. Witnesses:

O. M. GREENER, V. H. LooKWoon, 

